The primary goal of this site is to provide mature, meaningful discussion about the Vancouver Canucks. However, we all need a break some time so this forum is basically for anything off-topic, off the wall, or to just get something off your chest! This forum is named after poster Creeper, who passed away in July of 2011 and was a long time member of the Canucks message board community.

News article last week talked to teachers who are arranging to defer mortgage payments and expand lines of credit. The government will starve them out.

The BCTF needs to realize that their personal vendetta against Christie isn't going anywhere and they need to get in line with the other public sector unions. It reminds me of what the IWA did to my parents when I was a kid.

Throughout N. America there is a push to bring public sector contracts back in line with the few remaining private sector unions. Corporations slew the union dragon through the 1980's, time for governments to do the same.

Topper wrote:News article last week talked to teachers who are arranging to defer mortgage payments and expand lines of credit. The government will starve them out.

Hmm...I wonder if the article was cherry picking their interviews? Not one person I've talked to is worried about being starved out, or knows anyone who is.

If the media would like to interview someone, maybe they should talk to all those MLA's who closed their offices at any point this week, apparently afraid of parents (not teachers, we were busy striking) and their children coming and sitting in front of their offices. Who knows, maybe one of the members of their constituency would like to talk to them!

If anything, yesterday's press conference by Ms. Clark has strengthened resolve. She went up their and constantly brought up a number of items that had already been removed by the BCTF bargaining committee and she failed to mention any of the deeper parts of those 'demands'.

By the way: it is funny that every time the government mentions our 'demands' for benefits, they fail to mention that they are including Librarians in schools as part of those 'demands'.

Topper wrote:The BCTF needs to realize that their personal vendetta against Christie isn't going anywhere and they need to get in line with the other public sector unions. It reminds me of what the IWA did to my parents when I was a kid.

Of course we're pissed with her. She's stripped out contract language, illegally, and refuses to budge in negotiations when we roll back our 'demands'. However, if anyone has a vendetta, I'd say it's Ms. Clark having a vendetta with the teachers. She was the one who started this 12 years ago. We didn't pick the fight in the beginning.

As I said back in June, of course we're on strike; the government is waiting for the appeal. If they win that, they're off to the races. If they lose...well, why do you think they're pushing so hard to have the E80 article in their 'proposal' make it to any kind of agreement?

And there will be further appeals no matter the decision from the Court of Appeal.

Also much of the reason they will not legislate the teachers back to work.

$3000 dollars annually for massages was a BCTF demand in the Spring, they were embarrassed enough by it that they reduced it. But how did it make it in the demands in the first place?

One of my sisters is a special needs teaching assistant, a CUPE member. She's out picketing with the teachers in absolute ignorance that one of the goals of the BCTF is to replace here with BCTF member special needs teachers. I laugh at the irony of it. i mentioned this on the phone to her and before she hung up on me, she naively said, "How could one union do that to another union?"

Topper wrote:And there will be further appeals no matter the decision from the Court of Appeal.

Also much of the reason they will not legislate the teachers back to work.

$3000 dollars annually for massages was a BCTF demand in the Spring, they were embarrassed enough by it that they reduced it. But how did it make it in the demands in the first place?

One of my sisters is a special needs teaching assistant, a CUPE member. She's out picketing with the teachers in absolute ignorance that one of the goals of the BCTF is to replace here with BCTF member special needs teachers. I laugh at the irony of it. i mentioned this on the phone to her and before she hung up on me, she naively said, "How could one union do that to another union?"

The whole outrage over massage thing is a typical red herring shell game

Oh look the teachers want free massages! Burn them !

You know full well where the request for massage thereapy a fully recognized part of the medical system falls on the list of demands by the BCTF and as business man you know full well when negotiating you start high to give yourself negotiating room.

Why play games trying to convince the masses with bullshit?

And
Perhaps your sister will replace herself by gaining accreditation through the BCPSEA and the BCTF and switch unions

And can I have your sisters number? If she hangs up on you she sounds kinda cool

I agree she is not handling it well. Didn't see her presser, but read of it and her twits. She was doing very well sitting in the background letting Fasbender and Cameron do the work. Iker baited her and she bit. Silly of her.

Wait out the post court decision storm and get the appeal process in the works and stay steady on the course with the current negotiations.

I've long separated the court action from the current negotiations.

Her misinformation of massages and what not are no different than Iker's 1% difference on wages line of BS.
Neither side has budged on overall #'s, they have rejigged wages and benefits but the overall $ values offered by government or demanded by the BCTF have not changed.

Don't forget there were three public sector deals signed last year that link wage increases to the governments economic well being. The BCTF is undermining those 50,000 government employees.

Oh, and the BCTF has told teachers not collect their $40/day/kid, nor are they to pick up any additional tutoring work lest they be considered scabs.

Strangelove wrote:Nah, there is a reason the Libs are desperately trying to negotiate class composition RIGHT NOW.

And a reason why the teachers have not been willing to negotiate class composition AT ALL.

That would mean the BCTF is not negotiating in good faith

I really doubt the courts will set class size and composition limits, they may rule weather something is good or bad, but courts rarely set limits. They will send it back to the government and the BCTF to work out.